Sir Alex Ferguson said this week that it was "the end of
the matter" and that Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing at
Manchester United next season. Is this true?
Yes. My coach was kind enough to come and see me in Lisbon a few
days ago, which I think is common knowledge. It was a very honest
conversation between two people that respect one other and that I'm
sure share a mutual affection and friendship.
What we said to each other will remain private. Sir Alex
listened to me, I listened to him and we established that the best
for both sides would be for me to continue at Old Trafford. So, I
can confirm that I'll be playing for Manchester United next season.
And before there are any rumours and speculation about me staying
against my will, I want to make one thing clear: whoever says or
writes anything to that effect is lying. I'll be playing at
Manchester United with my heart and soul. I will fight and honour
the shirt with the same desire and dedication as I always have.
And how do you think the people at Real Madrid will feel
hearing you say that you're staying at Manchester
United?
I want to say that I was the one that was responsible for all
this controversy. It wasn't their fault because it was me that said
publicly that I wanted to move to Real Madrid. It was also me,
although wholly unintentionally, that caused the friction between
the two clubs.
Your statements after the Champions League final and
during and after the European Championship demonstrated your
enormous desire to leave Manchester United and move to Real Madrid.
What did you actually want?
I knew that Real Madrid were interested in signing me and that
they had, allegedly, made a very substantial offer to Manchester
United. For a while, I wanted Manchester to accept the offer and
for me to move to Madrid. If I denied it I would be deceiving
everyone, including myself. Anyone who knows me knows that it would
have to be something very important for me to admit such a thing.
If there's one thing I've never been - nor do I ever want to be -
it is ungrateful.
Manchester United - from the Glazer family, the directors,
namely David Gill, to the coaches, team-mates and backroom staff -
is a club that will always be dear to my heart. Whatever happens in
the future, that will never change. I'm very aware of what this
club has done for me and I'll be eternally grateful, come what may.
But it was because of this, because I knew this club was different
and extraordinarily human, that I hoped that my wishes and my
reasons would be understood.
And what were the reasons that made you want to
leave?
After we'd won the Champions League, I felt that in five years I
had helped win everything there was to win. We'd won the Premier
League twice and I'd won a host of individual awards, including the
best goalscorer in the Premier League, Champions League and in
Europe. So I felt that maybe I needed a new challenge. I never hid
the fact that I wanted to play in Spain, at Real Madrid in
particular, and I thought this could be the right moment.
Manchester United and Real are probably the two biggest clubs in
the world and it would never be an easy decision to make. Apart
from the challenge, everyone realises that Spanish and Portuguese
culture and lifestyle are more similar. Those were the reasons that
made me consider the change.
Nothing else? The attraction of an even more generous
wage that Real Madrid are said to be willing to pay, for
example?
I'm aware that, whatever the circumstances, there will always be
speculation about me. I knew that there would always be someone
who'd say that my main concern was making more money. Others would
insist that my vanity couldn't resist being linked to the biggest
transfer fee of all time at the age of 23. Of course I am proud to
see my work recognised, but none of this had any major effect on
what I wanted. In fact, if it was just a question of money, I would
never leave Manchester United.
Apart from the reasons I've just given, I also have to recognise
that my family would welcome the change. The chance of being an
hour's flight from my mother and the rest of my family was very
attractive, even more so playing for a club like Real Madrid. I
know I have to deal with these circumstances, even though it's
difficult sometimes, but it's harder to ask the same of the people
I love the most.
The best proof of what I've just said is the fact that I've just
made a major investment in a house in Manchester, even though I
didn't have to. I did it not just for my own comfort but also for
those closest to me. The people at Manchester United, particularly
the manager, understood my reasons. But we all eventually concluded
that I should continue to wear that No7 United shirt. It's no
sacrifice for me, it's a great honour. I have important things to
win in England. I will give everything I have to Manchester United.
I want to defend the European title and help United become world
champion, not forgetting the Premier League and other
competitions.
Are you afraid of the reception you'll get from the
Manchester United fans?
No, to be honest. It's possible but I hope it doesn't happen. I
know I'm a good professional, I know that no one's harder on me
than myself and that's never going to change, under any
circumstances. The high point of my career was winning the
Champions League. No one will ever erase that from my memory, in
the same way that no one will ever erase the fact that I did it in
a Manchester United shirt.
What I said publicly, which was maybe a little naive, I take
total responsibility for. People have to understand one thing: at
the age of 18 I arrived at a dream club like Manchester United. It
was a dream come true. But, even at that moment, I was thinking
about playing in England for some years and then going to play in
Spain. Even at that time I was thinking that way, and I always gave
100% everything. Why lie? I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say
the opposite of what I think, like some others do. I said exactly
what I thought: I have a dream of playing at Real and I thought it
was time to move on. People can't be upset about me fulfilling a
childhood dream.
But would it be fair for Manchester United to lose you
while you are still under contract?
I'm very aware of what this club has done for me. I'll be
forever grateful. Manchester United and its fans can be sure that
I'll never forget them, no matter what happens. They're special and
they'll always have a place here [puts hand on heart]. In fact, I
confess that one of the reasons I had the courage to say what I did
was the fact that Manchester United would be fairly
compensated.
The figure mentioned, which would be a world record, would serve
as some compensation for the debt of gratitude that I owe the club,
as least in material terms. I'm going to say something here that
I've never told anybody: if we hadn't been European champions I
probably wouldn't have even thought about going to Madrid. And
there is something else that should be mentioned: I never wanted to
leave against United's will. When they turned down the offer, the
people at United made it very clear how much they wanted me. I
didn't fully understand it at the time, but now I can really
appreciate it.
But you agreed with Sepp Blatter when the president of
Fifa said that long-term contracts between players and clubs were a
form of "modern slavery"?
That makes no sense, nor do I believe that's what he meant, as
he himself has already stated. My comment was about something else.
I was saying that players should be where they feel happy. Nothing
more.
Sir Alex Ferguson was always intransigent and denied any
possibility of a transfer ...
Believe me, it makes me proud to know how much he thinks of me.
And he knows I feel exactly the same way about him. He has been one
of the most important people in my playing career. Not only because
of what I've learnt and continue to learn from him in sporting
terms but also in human ones as well. I love the passion he has for
football. If it were humanly possible I would like to have him
always by my side. Of course it's not possible but it shows how
much affection, admiration and respect I have for him.
He has always been like a second father to me at Manchester
United. I'll never forget that it was him that explained the
significance of the No7 United shirt, which will always be my
shirt. When I was at Sporting I had a number of offers, some of
them very lucrative. One of them offered eight million Euros just
as a signing on fee and meant that I would play for Sporting for
one more year and then leave as a free agent. But money isn't
everything. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Milan, Juventus,
Valencia and practically all the big clubs were also
interested.
At the time, Jorge Mendes explained that Manchester United also
wanted me and that Sir Alex Ferguson had told him that he would be
very careful with my playing career. So I would play at least 50%
of the games in the first season, which is what happened. This
shows that I also chose Manchester United and that money wasn't the
deciding factor. Alongside my agent [Mendes], Sir Alex Ferguson has
been the most important person I've ever known in my career.
Because of this, because of the special relationship that exists
between us, I know that he'll understand that there are times when
a father has to worry only about what's best for his child.
The Spanish press continues to say that your future is
at Real Madrid
There's no point in making predictions. It's not worth
speculating because nothing is set in stone and things change all
the time in football. Today there are opportunities that no one
knows if they will come round again in the future. There are only
two certainties: I'll be playing at Manchester United, a club I'm
proud to represent; Real Madrid will continue to be a great club
without me and I will continue to admire the Spanish club, as I
have done since I was a boy.
I'm saying what I think and I hope that all the speculation will
stop. The press has written some terrible things about me and about
this whole thing. They've invented a thousand and one things and
that's one of the reasons why I decided to talk about this now. And
people can be sure of one thing: everything I've said comes from
the bottom of my heart and is the only truth.
Which means you don't exclude the possibility the dream
of playing for Madrid?
I'm 100% professional and I've always given my heart and soul to
this club. I even played a major part of the season injured, which
was verified by my operation. I played in excruciating pain while
taking anti-inflammatory medication every day. And I'd do it again
if necessary. This club deserves it because the United staff and
the fans are fantastic, not forgetting the affection and respect I
have for Sir Alex Ferguson. If one day I leave the club, I want to
do it knowing that I did everything I could to help the club win as
much as possible. If that happens, I'll leave with the feeling of
having done my duty to the maximum.
Interview by Bruno Prata, Publico